Marketing Your Products as an Artisan

So truth be told, I'm back on the market selling stuff I have made from earthy materials and up-cycling.

What are earthy materials? What is up-cycling.

Earthy materials are as raw as possible, and preferably not dyed or painted with any kind of toxic substance.
They are raw materials such as jute, cotton yard, soy bean based yarns, hemp string, fabric made from bamboo etc. They are usually bio-degradable. They blend in well with any kind of
"Back to Nature" theme.


So perhaps you are still wondering what up-cycling is.....Well, in my humble opinion, up-cycling is when you take a product that already exists that might be ready for recycling or the landfill, and you fashion it and rework it until it becomes something totally new, more valuable and precious. It is recycling with a moneyed twist.

For example, I have a fondness for gathering those ole wooden skids/pallets and hacking them up and using them for firewood. But I've noticed that some creative folks have taken to making incredible
household furniture out of these very same wooden skids/pallets. I've seen whole walls make out of them, along with every conceivable style of coffee table, bookshelf and even chairs. That is genuine up-cycling.

Have you ever up-cycled something? By the way, if you want to see how I've up-cycled some ole blue jeans
check out my Etsy page at  http://etsy.me/1xDNiWV
Carla's Etsy

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Lifestyle Hacker Ex·tra·or·di·naire

My heroes are bootstrappers in all their uncut glory. The more gritty and awkward their experience as they clawed their way from obscurity to success, the more I am compelled to read anything they've written or said.

To me, the most compelling part of an artist's life is the time before they rose to fame, how they survived and how they made a way through all the struggle and the folks who told them to give it up and get a real job.

Once folks reach that "slick" time when their shoes are now shiny and they don't worry about getting the electricity turned off...I kind of lose interest.

Success is kind of boring...it's too easy. It's that journey from invisibility to prominence that beguiles me and appears worthy of my study time. Once someone has become a best seller and they don't answer their own phones anymore, I am really not that interested.

Ok, so who are those folks who have fought their way to the top with sheer will power and a touch from God's grace? Folks like Tim Ferris...folks like Tony Robbins, folks like Alan Corey and Alanis Morissette and Annie Jean Brewer (aka Annienygma).
Nobody handed them their fame on a sweet silver platter. They dodged and weaved until their success was the only thing left chasing them.

So maybe some of you are gettin' tired of the chase. I want you to remember, that this is the best part. The rest is just boring smooth sailing. This rough and rugged terrain is going to be the most interesting part of your life story, the gravy that makes the mashed potatoes. You will look back on this time with great pride some day, knowing that you gave it your all, and in doing so....overcame the world.

Hang tight sisters. Keep the faith brothers.








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Ten for Ten-- Top 10 Tips to Make Cash

Tis sweet to be able to make a short and sweet announcement. I've published a new Kindle Book!
Woot woot. Way to get things done, Carla.

So if you're interested just type in Carla O in the search box of your local Amazon site and it'll lead you right to where the book is selling for your own country's Amazon site.
It's is published by Kindle. You can also download a free Kindle reader from the same site.
Enjoy and please do leave your review of the book on Amazon to spread the good news.
Peace.

Ten for Ten --Top 10 Tips to Make Cash



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Time to Nudge Ya

I know I know.....it isn't polite to nudge someone....hey I'm Canadian after all....The last thing I want to do is offend anyone or make them feel like I'm putting them on the spot.

But it's my blog and I'll nudge if I want to ")

I'm just going to come right out with it. Where is your written list of goals?
If you can answer that in three seconds, you have failed the test.

I can not overemphasize how important it is for you to make written goals and to have them in a handy place that you can review them daily or several times daily if necessary.

Human nature dictates that we are so easily distracted...by minutia, by news, by fashion, by bills, by drama, and gossip and the list goes on.  But if you won't stick to your goals who is going to get you back on track?
It is up to you. If you can't find a pen, use a crayon from your child's coloring box. If you can't find anything to write with, then type it into your cell phone as a new contact on your list of stored contacts.

You might be rolling your eyes right now....is it really that important to clutter up my slick cell phone with
a motley bunch of written goals that might not come true? Hey there, I caught ya...you already have given up on your goals even before writing them down. That is the real reason you don't want to write them down. The fear of failure is preventing you from setting any goals at all.

Well, mister or missy, it's time to get over yourself and how your emotions might be screaming for more coffee this Monday morning. I am just going to tell you nice and quietly but firmly......you still HAVE to write down those goals, even if your confidence in yourself has wavered. Emotions come and go, but your goals can remain. Confidence can be fickle. Winning comes when you ignore your feelings and take steps towards your goals anyway!

That is all I am asking from you this cloudy quiet Monday morning. Take that step today and write down those goals. And when you do, send me a quick comment in the section below to let me know you did it! You DID IT!
We are here to cheer you on. Now go find that pencil.

Peaceful productivity.

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REstoring Life to the Classrooms of America

I stumbled across an interesting read last week...
"Third World America" by Ariana Huffington...

Normally, I'm not enthused when I read a socialist-bent rant on capitalism, but there are a few gems in this book that make it worth the read.....and hopefully you'll still believe in free enterprise when you're done readin' it..

Permit me to quote:

pg 121 2nd paragraph
"But if we are to survive---and avoid turning into Third World America----it's essential that we make it easier for creativity and fresh thinking to flourish in our classrooms, We need to start looking at things in bold and different ways."

Now isn't that portion something we can all agree on? Right and Left? Capitalists, Socialists, Independents and everything in between and beyond?

Jus' thinking aloud here....
When push comes to shove we are all going to wind up living with the countries that we create today. We will watch our descendants either thrive and prosper in what we create, or struggle and suffer for our stodgy old fashioned ways.

One of my pet peeves which I have yet to reconcile in my brain is that I get so upset whenever I see how new thinkers are viewed and rejected particularly in Christian church circles, I am horribly disappointed. I hear sermons on how to "not rebel" which these young thinkers interpret as a stern admonition to  "stick with the status quo, or you might just upset someone".

I believe that if good changes are going to come to our educational systems we must EMPOWER radical thinkers. We MUST empower those rebels who dare to color outside of the lines...for they look at life in new and fresh ways. We can not stick to what is comfortable and traditional if we are going to pioneer new breakthroughs for America.

You see, other countries don't have this hang up. They welcome unusual unique thinkers and they sponsor inventors to go beyond what has always been done.

We can not be afraid of change. CHANGE is our very best friend.
With the information age, being able to ADAPT to change is a crucial skill that not only
sports figures must possess to excel in their chosen sport. We ALL must learn how to bob and weave and
change how we think about what is possible for life in our towns, cities, countries and globally.

The world is indeed our marketplace, our school yard, our library, our fellowship hall, and our church.
Our friends and cohorts should not just be found in our own backyards. WE must be able to fellowship with
radical thinkers around the globe for the purposes of free enterprise, scientific breakthroughs and educational partnerships.

If most of the large cap businesses are, of necessity, globally competitive....we must educate our children also emotionally and socially to be able to socialize with people from other countries with other cultures, foods, and language. We must pass on an ability to participate on this global stage.

If we hesitate and run backwards with our tail between our legs, our countries will simply NOT be able to compete on the world stage. Our North American society will not be the envy of the world any more, and even our own citizens will flee to other countries where change and invention are welcomed and encouraged.

If our churches figure out how to love inventors and scientists and free thinkers, we will be harboring the best up and coming leaders of the next generation. But if we make them feel unwelcome for thinking in new ways, we will have kicked creativity out of the church.

Christendom, used to be the Mother of higher education. We still have a chance to reclaim that opportunity to incubate great thinkers and inventors,creative artists, educators and business people. We must learn to not be easily offended and offer our listening ears and welcoming homes to all, especially those who show an ability to pioneer something that is new and untried.

Churches can be the leaders in times of change, or they can become the unwilling mule that stubbornly refuses to go where it needs to. Love the new, test the new and escort the new into your churches, so that these precious entrepreneurs and creative folks will stay and flourish INSIDE the safety of the fold instead of outside of it.
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How Badly Do You Want That?

I was perusing Tim Ferriss's blog again today. It's not for the faint of heart.
It brought to my mind that nagging question:
How Badly Do I Want what I Want?

Maybe you've started something new lately....started a new work out, or are thinking about applying
for some new college course. Perhaps it's something much more urgent and intense that involves uprooting yourself to a new city or a new job.

Well, let's chat a bit. How badly do you want what you have set your sights on?
How badly do you want this new job? Are you willing to move to a new town? A new province, another country? Your first response is usually the most accurate. Don't over-think it....just jot down your answers on a clean sheet of paper or on a your notepad on your phone.

Fill in the blanks:  .I want __________ so badly that I am willing to change my ___________
in order to achieve or get ______________. But I am  not willing to give up _________ to achieve or get __________.

This simple self assessment tool will help you see what might be holding you back. Maybe your desire for that new job is not yet strong enough to warrant uprooting yourself or your family. Maybe there are other conflicting priorities that are more important at this specific point in time.

Never feel like it's a crime to change your mind about a goal that you have set for yourself. I am merely encouraging you to "KNOW WHAT YOU WANT" before you put the wheels into motion making a huge change in your life. The sacrifice you are going to make must be WORTH it! The end result must be worth the phase of upheaval.

I am not one of those people who encourage "change" just for the sake of "change". There MUST be rhyme and reason to making a drastic life change. Some folks are just hyper and they enjoy making any kind of change just because they can't sit still. Don't be one of those people.

Measure your goals, and pick the ones that really fuel your passion . Let the rest flutter to the ground in the sea of forgetfulness. Your close friends and family will appreciate your "levelheadedness" because you have proverbially "looked" before "leaping".

Peace and productivity.


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Your First Try Isn't Going to Be Your Best Work

There's just some folks whom God has given a special insight into humans.....what makes us tick and precisely what it takes that brings some of us that upper cut of accomplishment.

The legendary human I am referring to is Seth Godin. His books are so rich with profound meaning I find that i need to take it in in small doses or I will just implode with insight.

One of the great insights that Seth Godin has gleaned from his own journey to "success" is the essential need to continue to believe in your work even when it sucks. It's when you know the quality of your work is really bad, that it is most tempting to give up. But it is right at that moment that we are also most teachable.
When we have the sense to realize that our work, our product, our service or our art is of poor quality, is the time that we begin our search for what will make it great.......really great.

Some artists go on painting naively for decades and never really admit that their work stinks.
Now, wait a minute, I'm not being cruel. I'm just saying that recognizing poor quality is an urgently important part of eventually producing something of incredible quality. Do you want folks to ooh and ahhh over something you have made? Be willing to accept your own criticisms and then DON"T quit.

Just keep going, and yes, power through that season of "yikes ...what was I thinking" to where you are able to make a change. Being willing to make a change because of something that you have noticed is 100 times better than being forced out of the game because of something someone else has noticed. Criticism is best self-served.

Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Peace.




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